Xylem Commends 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize Winner for his Ground-breaking Invention to Remove Heavy Metal Contaminants from Water

Houston resident Perry Alagappan takes top honors at international student competition in Stockholm

Xylem Inc., a leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world’s most challenging water issues, congratulates Perry Alagappan of Houston, Texas, the winner of the 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP), the most prestigious international student competition for water-related research. The award was presented to Mr. Alagappan during the 19th SJWP ceremony at the annual World Water Week celebration in Stockholm for his project “Novel Renewable Filter for Heavy Metal Removal: A Practical Application of Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.”

Mr. Alagappan became interested in how rapid technological advances have resulted in a significant rise in electronic waste, including toxic heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead, found in the waterways. Combining his interests in water and nanotechnology, he focused his intensive research on creating a first-of-its-kind filter that removes more than 99 percent of heavy metal contaminants from drinking and industrial wastewater.

H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden presented Mr. Alagappan with the top prize of U.S. $15,000 and a prize sculpture, and Mr. Alagappan’s school will receive a U.S. $5,000 award. Xylem has been a sponsor of the SJWP global competition since its inception nearly 20 years ago, which today draws entries from students in nearly 30 countries around the world.

“As a long-standing supporter of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, we continue to be inspired by the ingenuity and passion of all these bright students, who bring fresh perspectives to address some of the world’s most daunting water challenges,” said Patrick Decker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xylem. “At Xylem, we are committed to supporting initiatives such as the Stockholm Junior Water Prize that will help advance these innovative ideas to solve global water issues.”

The selection jury also awarded a Diploma of Excellence to Katherine Araya and Katya Urqueta from Chile for a project that improved water use efficiency in agriculture. In their project, the students addressed global and local issues of food and water security, as well as the preservation of agricultural land. Their project entailed using fungus from an Antarctic root in lettuce production to decrease the amount of water needed in the farming process. These winners of the Diploma of Excellence received an award of U.S. $3,000.

The international SJWP is presented each year to students between the ages of 15 and 20 for outstanding water-related projects that focus on topics of environmental, scientific, social or technological importance. Winners from 29 countries competed for the international honor, which was awarded by an international jury of water professionals and scientists.

The prize is administered by the Stockholm International Water Institute.